Anthony Capps on TV: Everything old can be good again

Sunday

The selection of new TV shows for the 2012-13 season is under way. Those lucky enough to be OK'd for a test pilot episode are in the works, and among the dozens in production are remakes.

The selection of new TV shows for the 2012-13 season is under way. Those lucky enough to be OK’d for a test pilot episode are in the works, and among the dozens in production are remakes.

Among the possible TV series out there are an American adaptation of the famous London detective Sherlock Holmes (he will placed to modern New York City), an update of the 1980s cult classic “Beauty and the Beast,” a French-Canadian family comedy adaption titled “Isabel” and adaptations of three British series: “White Man Van,” “Only Fools and Horses” and “Friday Night Dinner.”

An update of the 1960s comedy “The Munsters,” titled ‘Mockingbird Lane,” is likely to hit the small screen sometime in 2013, courtesy of NBC. In June, TNT will bring us a continuation of the ’80s primetime soap opera “Dallas.”

Remakes and sequels are nothing new to television. Famous ’70s shows “Three’s Company,” “All in the Family” and “Sanford Son” were based on British shows. Some work (“Queer as Folk,” “The Office”) and several don’t (“Coupling,” “Life on Mars,” “Free Agent”). TV shows “Hawaii Five-O,” “Beverly Hills, 90210,” “Charlie’s Angels” and “Knight Rider” recently were revived to mixed results.

The idea of the television remake should be welcomed in today’s entertainment culture and creative mindset. The 2003 “Battlestar Galactica” reboot is the icon for what a remake can look like — science fiction, politics, war, romance, robots all in one series — and I welcome the idea of remaking a TV series.

“The Munsters” rebooting will not be a comedy the way the original was. Entertainment Weekly reported this remake is an hour-long series that will take a darker tone than the campy ’60s series. The characters are also suppose to look more human. After all, several shows from the same time period are campy, especially by today’s standards. And what network executive would ever greenlight shows like “My Mother the Car,” “The Flying Nun” or “Petticoat Junction” today?

Transplant “The Beverly Hillbillies,” “Happy Days,” “My Three Sons,” “Marcus Welby, M.D.,” “Bewitched” or “Welcome Back, Kotter” to today and you have a different show with the same characters but different personalities, new problems and something that better resembles society.

While TV shows are given a 21st century rebooting with good (“Hawaii Five-0,” “90210”) and bad (“Charlie’s Angels,” “Melrose Place,” “Knight Rider,” “Kojak”) results, they are being reimaged for the 21st century viewer. This is something new. “V” seemed to lose its way after the first season, but it’s reimaging was an echo, though inferior, to “BSG.”

Even more recent, and still essential viewing, series like “L.A. Law,” “Quantum Leap,” “Hill Street Blues,” “Greatest American Hero” and “Little House on the Prairie” would be fasciniting with a 21st century reimagination.

There’s no guarantee any of the current pilots in production will make the cut. Remakes of “Mr. Ed,” “Wonder Woman,” “Bewitched,” “Spaced” and “The Rockford Files” were just some from the past decade that were rejected by network executives.

And yes, I’m really concerned over the adaptation of “Only Fools and Horses.” If approved, I really hope it is done well.

Anthony Capps can be reached at (515) 663-6925 or acapps@amestrib.com.

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